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Uranium and Plutonium
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∙ 14y ago
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What are the materials needed to make a nuclear weapons?
At a minimum:Fissile material to provide the energyConventional explosives to rapidly assemble (about 1ms to 10ms) the fissile material from subcritical to supercritical formA tamper made of dense metal to contain the reaction for about 1µs to get good yieldneutron sources to start the fission at optimal supercriticalityTo make a practical bomb additional materials and systems would be required.
What was the nuclear bomb made of?
The first nuclear bombs were fission devices. The fissile materials used are Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239. Later bombs were thermonuclear or fusion weapons. The material used in some early experimental devices was tritium ( kept liquid at very low temperature). Modern thermonuclear devices use lithium 6 deuteride. Fusion weapons contain a small fission bomb to set them off. See the Related question for more information.
Did hydrogen bombs get dropped on Hiroshima?
No, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was an atomic bomb using uranium as the fissile material.
Is U-235 used in nuclear weapons?
Yes. U-235 is one of the two primary fissile materials used in nuclear weapons. The other is Pu-239. They are used as the core for the A-Bomb, and as the primary for the H-Bomb.
What nuclear weapon releases energy by the fission of Uranium-238?
As much as 90% of the yield of a hydrogen bomb can be provided by the fission of Uranium-238 in the bomb's final stage tamper caused by the 15MeV neutrons produced by the fusion reaction. Yes, it cannot support a neutron chain reaction, so it is not fissile, but it can fission in the right circumstances and the hydrogen bomb provides those circumstances.On a separate issue Uranium-238 is used in nuclear weapons. Even the earliest atomic bombs used it in their tampers due to its very high density (but it of course did not fission as the energy of the neutrons in those devices was far too low, only about 1MeV).
What is oralloy?
Oralloy is an acronym for "Oak Ridge Alloy". Which is an alloy of Uranium 235 and Uranium 238. The U235 is the fissile isotope that is used in fission type nuclear weapons. The actual concentration is classified, but generally U235 is greater than 90%.
What fuels are used for nuclear weapons?
Uranium mainlyPlutonium and Uranium in fission weapons, Lithium deuteride in fusion weapons, occasionally small amounts of Tritium gas to boost fission weapons with fusion.
What is the meaning of 'material efficiency' of a nuclear fission bomb?
Material efficiency refers to the percentage of the fissile fuel (enriched uranium 235 or plutonium) consumed by the fission reaction during detonation. Early nuclear weapons, like the Gadget, Fatman and Little Boy, were enormously inefficient; Fatman's efficiency was estimated at below .1%. Later Russian and American fission bombs, and the fission triggers for high yield fusion bombs like Big Ivan and Ivy Mike, achieved far higher efficiencies, approaching 1%. Had the Hiroshima bomb been even had a material efficiency of 5%, it would have had a blast yield nearing 1 megaton. Material efficiency is the ultimate Achilles Heal of fission weapons. During the reaction, supercritical neutrons travel just under the speed of light, and the reaction occurs in microseconds; but even then the detonation occurs destroying the fissile core before most of the fuel has reacted. This imposes a physical size and yield limit on fission weapons. The maximum possible yield has been estimated at between 500 to 650 kilotons. The French reportedly found a way around material efficiency limits by encorperating multiple lower yield fission cores into weapons instead of one big one. They used this strategy in several prototypes for their adjustable yield fusion weapons.
what is fission chain reaction how can it be controlled?
Fission chain reactions occur because of interactions between neutrons and fissile isotopes (such as 235U). The chain reaction requires both the release of neutrons from fissile isotopes undergoing nuclear fission and the subsequent absorption of some of these neutrons in fissile isotopes. When an atom undergoes nuclear fission, a few neutrons (the exact number depends on several factors) are ejected from the reaction. These free neutrons will then interact with the surrounding medium, and if more fissile fuel is present, some may be absorbed and cause more fissions. Thus, the cycle repeats to give a reaction that is self-sustaining. Nuclear power plants operate by precisely controlling the rate at which nuclear reactions occur, and that control is maintained through the use of several redundant layers of safety measures. Moreover, the materials in a nuclear reactor core and the uranium enrichment level make a nuclear explosion impossible, even if all safety measures failed. On the other hand, nuclear weapons are specifically engineered to produce a reaction that is so fast and intense it cannot be controlled after it has started. When properly designed, this uncontrolled reaction can lead to an explosive energy release
What are negative uses of fission?
Nuclear weapons
What are some famous implode systems?
Some famous implode systems include but are not limited to nuclear weapon design, pure fission weapons, boosted fission weapons, two-stage thermonuclear weapons and pure fusion weapons to name some.
Is fusion or fission used in nuclear weapons?
Both are used.
